The Big Picture

• Caan's standout performance in El Dorado reinvented the idea of a Western hero.
• El Dorado showcases the great chemistry and sharp dialogue among its cast, with a script penned by Leigh Brackett.
• Caan proved himself as an action star while sharing the screen with John Wayne in El Dorado.

There are few films in the history of American cinema that were as influential as Francis Ford Coppola’s 1972 adaptation of the classic Mario Puzo gangster novel The Godfather. Seen as a demythologization of the criminal lifestyle that commented on the futility of the “American dream,” The Godfather became so popular that its cast went on to find great success in the subsequent decades. While Al Pacino was already a stage veteran and Marlon Brando was one of the most famous stars in history, James Caan’s wild performance as Sonny Coreleone was among the film’s best, earning him an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor. Before he was stealing scenes from Marlon Brando, Caan got his breakout role in the 1967 Western El Dorado alongside John Wayne.

What Is Howard Hawks' ‘El Dorado’ About?

El Dorado hailed from director Howard Hawks, who had previously helmed Wayne in the classic Western Rio Bravo. Hawks and Wayne took a similar approach to both films, as El Dorado is essentially a “hangout movie” with more emphasis on character development than narrative throughlines. The film centers on the honorable Sheriff J.P. Harrah (Robert Mitchum), who ventures to the town of El Dorado to settle a dispute between ranchers locked in conflict about their land. Harrah recruits his friend Cole Trickle (Wayne), a local bounty hunter, to help bring the conflict to a peaceful resolution; tensions escalate when they discover that the powerful landowner Bart Jason (Ed Asner) has essentially monopolized the town’s economy, and has many dangerous thugs working under him.

The film was released after Wayne had already starred in countless classics, but Caan’s performance in El Dorado was the film’s standout. Caan co-stars as the whip smart, yet naive, young gunslinger Alan Bourdillion Traherne, who goes by the nickname “Mississippi.” While Mississippi impresses Cole by ruthlessly dispatching an outlaw that murdered his father, he quickly proves to be in over his head. Empathetic to the young man’s enthusiasm and convinced that he and Harrah will need all the help they can get if they are to lead a resistance against Jason, Trickle decides to recruit Mississippi to join their team. The opportunity to work alongside more seasoned lawmakers proves to be highly educational for Mississippi, who is keen to learn about how his skills might best be utilized.

Caan gives Mississippi the most engaging character arc in El Dorado. Unlike Trickle and Harrah, who have both grown cynical as a result of their extensive experience as gunslingers, Mississippi still has some optimism about what he can accomplish. He adds a sense of youthful energy to the film, and challenges the preconceived notions that his two older companions have about the futility of attempting to “civilize” a town like El Dorado. Caan depicts Mississippi as entirely sincere in his endeavors. Mississippi is empowered by the badge of honor. While he's never been afraid to use lethal force, he now uses his expert marksmanship skills to help defend the community's livelihood.

'El Dorado's Cast Has Great Chemistry

El Dorado’s release within the history of American Westerns is a fascinating one. Although the genre had begun to become dominated by the popularity of “Spaghetti Westerns” following the success of For a Few Dollars More and Django, El Dorado is a throwback to the more classical era of the genre that emerged during Wayne’s initial set of films. While paying tribute to an older style could have made El Dorado feel antiquated, Caan is able to reinvent the idea of what a Western hero could be. Mississippi is a character who models himself after the heroes of the west that came before him; ironically, this was the result of Caan giving a performance that felt reminiscent of the foundational heroes within Western films.

El Dorado succeeds thanks to the great chemistry between the actors. The film was penned by the brilliant screenwriter Leigh Brackett, an accomplished writer whose credits included The Big Sleep, The Long Goodbye, and early drafts of The Empire Strikes Back. The dialogue is sharp and memorable, giving Caan a chance to have a sense of humor. While there are certainly some humorous exchanges of Mississippi lampooning the aging nature of his companions, Caan channels his more dramatic sensibilities in the moments where the character reflects on his father’s legacy.

In addition to giving him some moving moments of dramatic yearning, El Dorado proved that Caan could be a great action star. During the last act of the film, Mississippi is officially deputized by the deputy Bull Harris (Arthur Hunnicutt), allowing him to help Harrah and Trickle in reducing the hapless local saloon owner Maudie (Charlene Holt) from bandits. While he commits to the physicality of the role, Caan also shows how this acceptance burdens Mississippi with a greater sense of responsibility; he is no longer just an outlaw bounty hunter, but a real protector of the law.

James Caan Holds His Own With John Wayne

While the film’s success was largely attributed to Wayne’s prominence at the box office, El Dorado proved that Caan could hold his own against veteran co-stars. Although he continued to appear in Westerns until the end of his career, Wayne’s sharing of the screen with Caan felt like one great actor passing the torch to the star of another generation. This led to Caan earning the more highly coveted role in The Godfather, a film that was known for having an infamously tumultuous production. Hawks is a renowned filmmaker, but El Dorado remains one of the most underrated Westerns of all-time. Seamlessly combining snappy dialogue with intimate character moments, El Dorado benefits from the magnanimous screen presence that only an actor of Caan’s caliber was capable of bringing to the screen.

El Dorado is available to watch on Prime Video in the U.S.

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